RCA Airnergy Charger Lets You Charge Devices With Wi-Fi

People have been pushing for wireless charging technology for a long time, and a few prototypes have shown some promise. But at CES 2010 in Las Vegas last week, RCA revealed what could be the world’s very first practical wireless charger — the RCA Airnergy charger.

The Airnergy charger connects to devices via a mini-USB port, and gets its energy from Wi-Fi signals, of all things. That means you can charge your devices whenever you’re in a hotspot, without ever having to plug into AC power. The Airnergy was tested on the CES floor, and it was able to charge a Blackberry from 30% to full-charge in an hour and a half. Pretty impressive.

What’s really great about the RCA Airnergy charger is its price tag — RCA says the wireless charger will hit store shelves this summer at $40 a piece, and that the technology to harvest Wi-Fi will be released soon after. Not bad for something that charges by itself.

The Airnergy charger should be great for people who live and work in Wi-Fi environments.